This invention pertains to flexible magnetic disk drives and more particularly to flexible magnetic disk drives which employ a fixed head.
In flexible magnetic disk drives using a transducer that is fixed to a solid mounting such as a button and secured to a carriage that is linearly positioned along a pair of supporting rods or ways, a fabrication difficulty arises from the accumulation of tolerances that may be encountered during assembly. The accumulated tolerances of the individual parts can result in a dimensional variation in the final assembly that makes the device unacceptable for use. Flexible files are often used where moderate cost direct access storage is required and fixed head transducer mountings normally are used in the least costly flexible file devices. To hold individual parts to closer or stricter tolerances to meet quality requirements defeats the low cost objective.
Flexible files, in common with all data storage products, constantly strive to be more useful and effective through increasing both bit densities and track densities. Another limiting factor inherent in most flexible file drive applications is the requirement that a disk may be recorded on one drive and read on another drive. One of the most common applications of flexible files is as a vehicle for loading information such as programs or data into a system using a disk media that is purchased or at least secured from a source which used another drive to record the data.
In the device of the present invention the fixed transducer button is secured to the carriage of the drive using a sleeve-like adapter between the carriage boss and the transducer assembly. Using a simple fixture to support the carriage and transducer with the adapter intermediate the transducer support and the carriage boss, the adapter and carriage boss may be bonded using an adhesive which is cured using an acceleratorcatalyst when the correct positioning is achieved. Using the adapter and such a mode of assembly, it is possible to fabricate the carriage assembly including the transducer in a manner that eliminates composite part tolerances with respect to the head penetration and the pitch and roll of the head.